This blog was originally set-up for the Tri-State Genealogical Society. Under the new leadership, this blog and the original web site are no longer officially recognized by the society; however, it is continuing to be maintained by its creator, John G. West.

TSGS Cruiser Blog

Saturday, September 29, 2012

This morning, as I do each morning, I checked my email and the many newsletters and other formats of info that comes in my email inbox hourly. I found this very interesting new advancement in "electronic genealogy." It has been called "Digitising the Deceased!" This comes from Dick Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter EOGN﻿

"Radio4 in the UK has an interesting report about placing QR Codes on tombstones. (See the picture to the right for a typical QR code.) Edward Stourton of the Sunday morning religious news and current affairs programme, recently interviewed Steven Nimmo, a funeral director from Dorset, to find out how digital 'quick response' codes are being placed on gravestones. Scanning the code with a smart phone directs people to a webpage where they can find a wealth of information about the deceased.

This audio link is worth about 2.42 minutes of listening... it is a really cool way to remember love ones. It is similar to the "Memorial Madallions" we heard about in the last few years. Technology and genealogy marches on!

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

This photo and excerpts below are from the Willard Library website: Washington's Portrait. [Click on the link to the left for this photo and story.]

This copy of Gilbert Stuart’s “George Washington at Dorcester Heights” (which hangs at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts) is believed to have been painted by William Edward West.

The painting has been with Willard Library since its opening, but how it came to the Library was a mystery until 1954.

At that time, Julia Evans Stephens Shea, a resident of Hollywood, California, and descendent of General Robert M. Evans, was visiting Evansville. During her stay, she read a newspaper article by Bish Thompson on the cleanup and minor restoration of the painting.

Shea was the only living heir to the painting in 1954, and she determined it should be left on display at Willard Library. It hangs there today.

Willard Library Director Greg Hager told me an interesting story about this painting that maybe I will be able to get him to share on this blog! My middle son, JJ, who just turned 37 lives in Cincinnati and asked me about this painting that he remembers as an 8 or 9 year old.

Monday, September 24, 2012

I go to the City Cemeteries (Oak Hill & Locust Hill) almost every day to search for a grave. Last night, I could not get to these great genealogical databases... I got instead a re-direct to a login page. I went to the Oak Hill Cemetery Face Book site and asked what was happening. The City/County web sites just recently went through some revising which included some changes in the URL's to the various governmental departments. For some unknown reason the old links bring you to the login page instead of a re-direct to the new URL address or simply inform you that the sites have been revised with new Uniform Resource Locator (URL) addresses. Oak Hill management quickly provided all that I needed just a few minutes after 8 AM... special thanks to Chris & his staff!

This is one of the biggest problems with the Internet that after you find a great site... you bookmark it and then that bookmark becomes a bad link because the site changed servers or simply just changed the URL within the site. I have worked 16 years on the Internet and have figured out ways to find these elusive new addresses for the sites I want to visit. Fortunately, I found a way to get to the cemetery databases late last night when I wanted to get a little info about a Gus Mattingly that had drowned trying to save others! His grave marker was featured on a "Tombstone Thursday" on this TSGS Cruiser Blog (check the labels to the right for a link to that blog -"Gus Mattingly").

Anyway, I got a quick response this morning from that Cemetery Face Book page which I appreciate very much! They gave me the new URL's to use on the links for the Tri-State Genealogical Society's web site for those who visit our site. They have been updated on our site.

If you would want to bookmark the new URL's, here is the two cemetery databases and the Evansville City Cemeteries' home page

Now, that fall is upon us, you might want to visit the city cemeteries, especially Oak Hill, to see all of the beautiful trees as they change colors. I have spent hours photographing the breath taking beauty of this cemetery!

TSGS Cruiser Blog

Welcome to the TSGS Cruiser Blog!

Hello, my name is John G. West, TSGS first official blogger! You can make me look good by submitting some articles, stories, photos, etc. that somehow relate to genealogy. Maybe some research tips or interesting research stories. I will have to edit what is submitted to make sure the content is appropriate & is not too long. Please avoid submitting genealogical queries (there are better places to post them); however, I will consider interesting, intriguing mysteries or stories. I will only publish one article on any one day.

We will add some short notes and comments under titles like: Staying Afloat in the Gene Pool - Genetic DNA News; Racing Down the River - Brief Genealogical Notes; Navigating Along the River - Research Tips.